Snippets!

Puff-puff!

Here’s another snippet gleaned (I’ve come to like that word) from the same magazine as always!

“A long battle is finished! The giant “Imperial Tobacco Group” from Britain, 4^th biggest in the world, has finally won its take-over bid for “Altadis” a French/Spanish tobacco group, responsible for such brands as Gauloise, Gitanes and other well known brands.

13 Milliards of Euros was offered and finally accepted, after 3 years of discussions.Wonder how many people died in between time?

Interesting only from the point of view that “Altadis” was, in part, owned by the French Government as “Seitas” – The question is whether they could do without it, on the basis that they were taking so much in with Tobacco taxes, or did the Politicians REALLY have a moral problem?

“Imperial Tobacco” is, I think, privately owned, although the UK Government most likely have a part, but in any case, the taxes taken in UK or elsewhere are the driving force, not the moral value.

 

Taxes on all the things we enjoy are going up and up and up – have you noticed?

From a pint with a fag, or a fag with a pint, down to the drop of milk in your coffee!

I think they say these things are all BAD for us!

   Never mind, maybe some day they will realize that increases in Pensions, enabling us to go into Bars, Restaurants and the like, will only shorten our lives, thus making more money available for the Pension Budget!

All that while we are paying more than the rise in Pensions, BACK to the treasury Departments all over, in consumer taxes!

Wouldn’t it be nice, as a Pensioner, to have the choice of either a rise to cover inflation costs annually, or simply to be freed of TVA, VAT and the rest!

No chance of that I’m afraid – and no choice of free public transport tickets if you give up your Driving License (you know, as an old “danger on the road type”) either!

Shame really, but understandable – such Passes would force the Authorities to actually provide SOME public transport, or a semblance thereof!